Importance of AirVolume 03, issue 08 of a series of leaflets covering subjects of interest to students of elementary chemistry distributed in 1929 - 1932.

Atmospheric Chemistry

The AirVolume 05, issue 09 of a series of leaflets covering subjects of interest to students of elementary chemistry distributed in 1929 - 1932.

Atmospheric Chemistry

Molecular Models of Volatile Organic CompoundsWilliam F. ColemanThis month's Featured Molecules come from the Report from Other Journals column, Nature: Our Atmosphere in the Year of Planet Earth, and the summary found there of the paper by Lelieveld et al. (1, 2) Added to the collection are several volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that are emitted by a variety of plants. The term VOCs is a common one in environmental chemistry, and is interpreted quite broadly, typically referring to any organic molecule with a vapor pressure sufficiently high to allow for part-per-billion levels in the atmosphere. Common VOCs include methane (the most prevalent VOC), benzene and benzene derivatives, chlorinated hydrocarbons, and many others. The source may be natural, as in the case of the plant emissions, or anthropogenic, as in the case of a molecule such as the gasoline additive methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE).The oxidation of isoprene in the atmosphere has been a source of interest for many years. Several primary oxidation products are included in the molecule collection, although a number of isomeric forms are also possible (3).The area of VOCs provides innumerable topics for students research papers and projects at all levels of the curriculum from high-school chemistry through the undergraduate courses in chemistry and environmental science. Along the way students have the opportunity for exposure to fields such as epidemiology and toxicology, that may be new to them, but are of increasing importance in the environmental sciences. The MTBE story is an interesting one for students to discover, as it once again emphasizes the role that unintended consequences play in life. An exploration of the sources, structures, reactivity, health and environmental effects and ultimate fate of various VOCs reinforces in students minds just how interconnected the chemistry of the environment is, a lesson that bears repeating frequently.

Molecular Modeling |

Atmospheric Chemistry

Water on MarsEd VitzA section of ChemPrime, the Chemical Educations Digital Library's free General Chemistry textbook.

Two Balloons (GCMP)David M. WhisnantTwo Balloons: this is a resource in the collection "General Chemistry Multimedia Problems". In the Two Balloons video, the left flask contains some water and the right flask contains only air. What do you see when balloons are fastened to the mouths of the hot flasks? General Chemistry Multimedia Problems ask students questions about experiments they see presented using videos and images. The questions asked apply concepts from different parts of an introductory course, encouraging students to decompartmentalize the material.

Gases

Inorganic Compounds of CarbonVolume 04, issue 12 of a series of leaflets covering subjects of interest to students of elementary chemistry distributed in 1929 - 1932.

States of MatterAmerican Chemical SocietyACS Science for Kids activities explore phase changes of matter and their properties.

Gases |

Physical Properties |

Phases / Phase Transitions / Diagrams

Toys-ACS Science for KidsAmerican Chemical SocietyACS Science for Kids activities explore how chemistry can be used to make toys.

Gases |

Polymerization |

Water / Water Chemistry |

Physical Properties |

Lipids |

Reactions

Connected ChemistryMike StieffConnected Chemistry, a novel learning environment for teaching chemistry, is appropriate for use in both high school and undergraduate chemistry classrooms. Connected Chemistry comprises several molecular simulations designed to enable instructors to teach chemistry using the perspective of emergent phenomena. That is, it allows students to see observed macro-level chemical phenomena, like many other scientific phenomena, as resultant from the interactions of many individual agents on a micro-level. This perspective is especially appropriate to the study of chemistry where the interactions between multitudes of molecules on the atomic level give rise to the macro-level concepts that students study in the classroom. Connected Chemistry comprises molecular simulations embedded in the NetLogo modeling software (1). The collection contains several predesigned simulations of closed chemical systems to teach specific chemistry concepts. Currently, Connected Chemistry contains models for teaching Brønsted Lowry acid base theory, enzyme kinetics, radical polymerization, buffer chemistry, kinetics, chemical equilibrium, and crystallization. Instructors and students can individually tailor the predesigned simulations or generate new simulations as they are needed in the context of a particular lesson, classroom, or department.

Acids / Bases |

Gases |

Kinetics |

Nuclear / Radiochemistry |

pH |

Titration / Volumetric Analysis |

Polymerization |

Equilibrium |

Catalysis

Characteristics of MaterialsAmerican Chemical SocietyWhat makes diapers absorbent? Is peanut butter stickier than syrup or jelly? Strong, stretchy, sticky, or sweet—everything around us has special properties which make them unique. See if you can identify and compare the characteristics of materials.